Does a handicap apply to every course?

I currently have a playing handicap of 9 at my course which, compared to most courses in the area, is very hard. When I play other courses which our easier i shoot between 2 and 5 over. I play a couple of tournaments in a society thing at various places (changes every month) and last week we played at a par 67 very easy course and shot 69. With my handicap its 62 but i know that i shouldnt be playing with 9 on these courses. They are much easier but the people that run them say that i play with 9.


Obviously its gd for me because i either win or am up there most times lol ... but the ppl playing arent happy cos they think it shud be lower, even i admit its silly.

Is it right a handicap applies to all courses or should i go to an easier course and have 2 handicaps?! I dont want a too low one because i do play to 9 on my home course cos it 7400 yards!!

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It's not how much skill, it's how much will

In the UK you can only have 1 handicap regardless of how many different courses you are a member of! Are you submitting your 'away' scores to your 'home' club??

Your handicap is your handicap - but you need to submit all scores. Your adjusted score changes depending on the slope and rating of the courses you play, but your handicap is whatever it is.

The system under R&A rules differs significantly to the system under USGA rules.

Under USGA rules, your index remains the same, and depending on course rating and slope, and even what tees you are playing from, your handicap will be different so you can accurately judge your adjusted score to par.

Ricki, you must have the opposite problem because if your handicap at Builth Wells Golf Club gets low, when u go to a harder much longer course (because your par 4's seem to average bout 340 yards), you wud play to a larger handicap, but playing off an actual lower one, wud have no chance in the tournament?

Ricky maybe a course can be tricky if its shorter- but its a hell of a lot harder hitting Driver 5 iron than driver flick on some courses
Although all handicaps are the same each course has a "standard scratch" which tells you how hard the course is.eg. The new course st andrews is a long par 71 but the SS is 73. whereas the Strathtyrum, a shorter easier course is a par 69 SS67. This means for me as a 4 handicapper i can afford to play to 8 over on the new and stay in my buffer zone and not go up or 5 over and still get cut. On the shorter courses the SS tends to be below par. The SS changes in comps depending on scores- it goes up or down depending what number of golfers play to there buffer zones- if it movves by 3 shots it becomes a non counting competition.
this means that all courses should have a standard handicap- so yours should be the same at every club and if your playing below par at home it means your short games probably better than others with your handicap. Try playing in open comps and see how you do- and put your away scores in.

Still though, i drive the ball dead straight 220 - 230 yards, and on my course am left with 5i, 4i, 3i and 5 woods into the green. On your course i would be using the pitching wedge, 9 iron, 8 iron which wud have much more control and target pins. I'd back myself to shoot 70 or less round that course.

??? y wudnt i? u aint seen my golf game? if i shoot 9 over on a course with SSS 74 (par 72)... the rivers don't seem to be in play very often either.

300-350 yard par 4's are far easier than 450 yd par 4's

Ooh err chaps why dont you play each others course and let us all know the outcome?
Maybe this could lead to more and more private challenges, although my wife would draw the line at me going to Canada or S Africa for a game of golf to prove a point. But there must be members that live in close proximity to others.?

lol i like the sound of that, i think the member should pay for the guest as well... y not throw in a buggey too lol

i play a course in iceland and i tell u this the first nine holes if u miss the fairway or fringe u go straight in the lava and when it hits that it can fly anywhere its murder for me cos ive only just started last year,mind you i find loads of pro vs in it i know all the crevisis now :-)